Homeowner Busts Squatters Nest in Slaughter Beach Vacation Home

(SLAUGHTER BEACH, Del.) - Three people face burglary charges after they were discovered squatting inside a home in Slaughter Beach.

Delaware State Police said the out-of-state homeowner discovered an unusually high utility bill and came down to investigate on the night of Feb. 10.

That's when police said the homeowner saw the squatters lounging in his kitchen and living room.

Police arrested 19-year old Jacob Kantowski, 20-year old Sierra Grimsled, and 49-year David Howard of Lincoln.

"The car was parked backed up against the access road so that you couldn't get the license plate number and it was kind of tucked into a corner," said Slaughter Beach Mayor Harry Ward.

"One of our residents saw that, notified me, we notified state police. Unfortunately, this was a few days before the break-in was discovered. As it turns out, it was one of the people that broke in," Ward said.

Bob Wood, the town secretary, said security cameras installed at both ends of the two and half mile stretch of town will be upgraded to tighten surveillance.

"We're actually in the process of redoing our camera system here. We're obtaining bids to update the system and maybe have a couple more stationed, so we can see cars that come and go," said Wood.

The mayor said this is not the first incidence of squatters in town. In fact, Ward said the same home was targeted by squatters in recent years. Another observant neighbor noticed the squatter's suspicious activity and called the mayor.

Ward said half of Slaughter Beach is made up of part time residents and stressed the importance of full time residents looking out for one another.

"We all have to fairly diligent about looking out for our neighbors and seeing if there's a car in a driveway that normally wouldn't be."

The town said they are also working on compiling a residential database to ensure that homeowners are notified immediately when something happens.